Glacial Valleys

A glacial valley is a valley that was carved by a glacier. Glaciers are huge, slow-moving rivers of ice. As a glacier moves through a valley, it scrapes and pushes the rock and soil. This creates a wide valley with a U shape.

How Glacial Valleys Form

During ice ages, glaciers covered large parts of the Earth. These giant ice sheets moved very slowly downhill. They scraped the bottom and sides of valleys as they moved. After the ice melted, wide U-shaped valleys were left behind.

Where to Find Glacial Valleys

Glacial valleys are found in many mountain areas. Yosemite Valley in California is a famous glacial valley. Norway has many glacial valleys that filled with seawater and became fjords. You can also find them in the Alps, the Andes, and New Zealand.

Fun Facts

• Glacial valleys are shaped like the letter U, while river valleys are shaped like the letter V.
• Some glaciers were over a mile thick during the last ice age.
• Many beautiful lakes sit in glacial valleys, formed when the ice melted.

Did You Know?

The Great Lakes in North America were carved out by glaciers during the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago!